Pogba reveals gun terror in mystic row

Witchdoctor was paid by midfielder but ‘not to put spell on Mbappe’

THERE is always a sense of magic when Kylian Mbappe weaves in and out of multiple defenders to score a breathtaking solo goal. France’s 23-year-old superstar striker certainly mesmerised a Paris crowd last Thursday to score the opener in a 2-0 win over Austria.

What made the strike in the Nations League game significant, however, is that it came after a witch doctor allegedly used supernatural powers to destroy his talent.

The Marabout — an African mystic who claims vague links to Islam — is said to have been paid by Paul Pogba, the 29-year-old France and ex-Manchester United midfielder, to cast evil spells on Mbappe, 23.

Jealousy of a younger team-mate was the motive, it is claimed by suspects charged with trying to blackmail Pogba out of more than £11million.

Five of them, including one of Pogba’s elder brothers, are now on remand and facing up to 20 years each in prison over a range of charges including ‘extortion in an organised gang’. They claim to have recorded a video showing Pogba speaking to the Marabout, who calls himself ‘Ibrahim the Great’ and charges up to £88 an hour for his services.

As the case intensifies, The Mail on Sunday has learnt that Pogba did indeed pay a sorcerer to help him with his injury-plagued career. He vehemently denies it had anything to do with Mbappe and said he ‘never intended to harm anyone’.

Pogba told investigators working for France’s Central Office for the Fight against Organised Crime that he was ‘looking to be protected against injury’ and ‘to help poor kids in Africa’ he was in connection with through an aid organisation.

Two judicial sources in Paris confirmed the revelations — and the transcript from interviews completed last month — as they worked on the explosive investigation. Called ‘Operation Penalty’, it is not only creating hell for Pogba — he is under police protection while ruled out of playing because of injury — but threatening to scupper France’s World Cup defence.

Further horrifying details from the investigation include Pogba describing how he was threatened by two hooded men brandishing assault rifles after being lured into a flat in Chanteloup-en-Brie, in the east suburbs of Paris on March 19.

He was in the city on international duty, four days after a burglary in Manchester saw his wife Zulay and their two young boys threatened.

Also present in the Paris property were four of Pogba’s childhood friends, identified as Boubacar C, Adama C and two brothers called

Roushdane and Machikour K. Pogba had his mobile phone taken away and was told to pay the £11m in return for ‘protection fees’ going back 13 years — the length of his career — and also for a guarantee that the Marabout evidence, contained on a USB stick, would not be released.

‘I was scared,’ said Pogba. ‘The two guys pointed their guns at me. Given I was being held like that at gunpoint, I told them I’d pay. They shouted: “Shut up, look down”. One of them spoke in Roushdane’s ear. When the two hooded guys left, Roushdane told me I had to pay otherwise we were all in danger.

‘Roushdane said what had happened was usual when you are a famous footballer, but that I had to pay because he’d vouched for me.’

Pogba began trying to raise the money, being released at 4am but told he would be watched. In turn, the childhood friends said they were being threatened by a mafiastyle gang who were controlling the entire extortion operation. Roushdane K said he had been shot in the hand by the unidentified gangsters, while Mamadou M said they burned his car out.

After making an initial payment of €100,000 (£88,000), Pogba realised the blackmailers were stalking him around the training ground of his current club Juventus, and so filed a complaint to the Italian authorities on July 16.

Among those he identified was his brother Mathias Pogba, the 32-yearold ex-Wrexham striker, who has since been charged with extortion, after posting a series of video messages threatening Paul Pogba. Mathias Pogba denies all charges.

On Friday — the day after the Austria game — Mathias’ Twitter account was reactivated, and he wrote: ‘My brother has become a fan of witchcraft in recent years, becoming the follower of a sorcerer known as Marabout Ibrahim, called The Great.

‘My brother, on several occasions, cast spells on his team-mates, including Kylian Mbappe, whether out of jealousy or to win a game.’

In turn, counsel for Paul Pogba decried such claims as being utterly false. Leaked transcripts have also revealed that the chief of security for the France squad knew Pogba was being threatened by ‘a convicted murderer’ four months before the opening of a criminal investigation. ‘He was afraid of being considered a snitch,’ the officer told investigators.

The scandal could not come at a worse time for the France squad, who hope to become the first team since Brazil in 1962 to retain the World Cup. While Mbappe has publicly described Pogba as ‘a friend’ and said he was not unduly concerned, resentment is smouldering across the squad.